


Waste Your Time With Me in California

by Underdefined67



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2020-12-27 20:54:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21125093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underdefined67/pseuds/Underdefined67
Summary: CJ finally gets a chance to catch up with her long time group of friends when they take a trip to California.  Little does she know this could lead to something more than she bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

Waste Your Time With Me in California  
Chapter 1

Laura had the radio blaring Lana Del Ray, Summertime Sadness. An ironic song choice considering we were about to arrive to our summer vacation destination but I think the upbeat dance mix to the song is what had her attention. She rented a Jeep for us to have to drive once we arrived at the airport in California. One hundred percent her idea, though I know Allie was all for it too. And of course she wanted the top off.

The wind whipped all around us as we drove down the road. Laura and Allie singing and dancing along to the music, Kaia just singing along and bobbing her head to the beat. I was taking in the sights. This was my first time in California and I wanted to take it all in.

“CJ, come on! You’re killing the vibe!” Laura yelled glancing at me from the rearview mirror.  
“I’m just taking it all in!”

“Exactly!” Allie chimed in.

“You need to step out of your comfort zone. This is an opportunity to turn over a new leaf! Start completely fresh! Go crazy!” Laura yellsed, raising her voice even louder for the last part.  
I looked at Kaia who gave a sympathetic smile and shrugs.

“Okay. I’ll try! But no promises.” I replied, exasperated at the constant attempts from my friends to put myself out there the way they do.

Laura looked at Allie and they exchanged a mischievous smile. Something I chose to ignore for the time being, though I knew before too long they’d be pushing me into some sort of shenanigans or some guy.

I had my heart broken 3 years ago and haven’t really dated since and they had made it their mission to get me back in the game. I know they mean well but I am just not like them. I didn’t want to date just to date. I wanted more.

While Laura and Allie are a bit more on the wild side and into hookups and serial dating Kaia is a bit more reserved like me. The only reason they aren’t on her case is because she is in a serious relationship. She’s been with Emma for 2 years now.

We finally pulled up to the house. It was a beachfront, four bedroom house. We each got our own bedroom all located on the top floor. The kitchen and common area was on the middle level with a balcony overlooking the beach, and the bottom level was a game room with a pool table and the garage. Two of the bedrooms shared a balcony while the others had small side balconies. Laura took one of the rooms with the shared balcony and said it was decided I would get the other too keep me “out there”, whatever that means.

I dropped my bags in my room and instantly went out on the balcony to take in the beach. The sun was bright, the rays reached the water to making it sparkle as it moved from the waves crashing into the shore. People were scattered across the sand and out a short way into the water. I sat down on one of the loungers on the balcony and closed my eyes breathing in the smell of the saltwater instantly relaxing.

“Hey! We’re going down to the beach so don’t get too comfortable!” I heard Laura’s voice call from the doorway. I turned my head to look at her.

“I’m just trying to acclimate. You know, get in vacation mode.” I replied matter of factly.

“Mmhmm.” she replied with a smirk. “Get your ass up and put this on.” She said and threw a pile of clothes at me. I picked it up to examine it finding it was bikini.

“Oh no. No way! I’m not wearing this. I brought a swimsuit thank you very much.”

“Fine. But it better look like a swimsuit and not a t-shirt and shorts.” Laura called back before she walked back out onto the balcony in her red string bikini and leaned on the railing checking out the beach.

I got up and went into my room to get my swimsuit out and put it on. I emerged from the bathroom in my suit, a flowy coral top with high waisted black bikini bottoms and stepped into my room. Laura was now sitting on the ottoman facing my room next to Allie who wore a simple black one piece suit. Kaia sprawled out on my bed in her tankini.

“Ha! You owe me twenty, Laura!” Allie jumped up pointing at me.

“Ugh! CJ!” Laura yelled in friendly frustration. “But I’ll say I’m impressed. It’s not nearly as bad as I thought.” She finished with a giggle.

“Hey! I’m not as reserved as you guys seem to think I am. I can get crazy.” I looked between the three of them and not even Kaia looked convinced. “Come on, Kaia! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“CJ, I’m always on your side. But you don’t have to have a wild side. We all love you just the same. Laura just wants to create a monster like she’s Dr. Frankenstein or some shit.”

“Oh god. Don’t be so dramatic. I just want you to be happy. Break out of your shell a little more. I just don’t want you to regret not doing things while you’re young. Don’t be like our parents and let the world pass you by.” Laura responded, her tone becoming more serious. “You know I love you for you. Let’s just have fun this week. The four of us like old times.” She held her arms open and we all shuffled in for a group hug. And she was right about having fun with the four of us. It had been a good 5 years since we had done anything like this. All of us too busy with life and work. Maybe I will try a little harder to get out there.

We headed out the door and across the street to officially start our vacation. We settled on a spot close to the water and set up our beach tent and got our chairs and bags settled underneath it. We all wanted to walk out to the water.

“Ooo, CJ. Check this guy out.” Allie whispers loud enough for us four to hear. I rolled my eyes but casually looked over to see a guy jogging down the beach in our direction. He seemed fit. Not too muscular but lean. His chest and neck glistening with sweat in the hot sun. And I will say he was very good looking. 

“Allison, do you need your eyes checked? He was too old.”

“There’s nothing wrong with an age gap in a relationship! Plus older men are more mature. And experienced.” she retorted, raising her eyebrows at that last addition.

“I’m trying to help CJ have more fun and she can’t do that if she’s hanging out at the retirement home.”

“Actually, I’ve heard retirement homes are pretty active, if ya know what I mean.” Allie replied. Kaia let out a laugh.

“EW! Don’t be gross!” Laura’s face contorting into one of disgust as she said it. “CJ doesn’t need an old man. She needs an appropriately aged guy who’s looking to have a good time. Ooo, maybe like a surfer or something.” Laura adds with a glimmer in her eye

“Hey uh.. I’m right here. you know. And I don’t need help finding a guy.” I said giving them a disapproving look.

“Well…” Kaia trailed off. My mouth drops open a bit in annoyance as my once only aly turns on me. “Just hear me out. It’s been 3 years since you and Patrick broke up and you’ve hardly dated.”

“I’ve… dated.” I replied unconvincingly.

“You work from home. You barely leave your apartment. Where do you even find someone to date?” Laura jumped in.

“Michael that I used to work with in the hospital kitchen. He came to my apartment and we talked through Avengers.”

“And where is Michael now?” Allie asked knowingly.

“Probably off with his.. Fiance..?” I replied quietly. “But there was also Anthony!” I quickly added.

“CJ, You didn’t even know that was a date until he asked you to be his girlfriend! And then you turned him down!” Laura’s voice got high pitched like it does when she’s excited or emotional.

“Okay, but we would have never worked out! All we did was bicker! And I just didn’t have feelings for him like that.”

Just as Laura was about to respond a big wave came crashing on us. We screeched as the cold water washed over us and jogged back up to our tent. The conversation forgotten for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go out and see a familiar face.

“I’m starving.” Kaia complained. We had spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the beach which was wonderful but none of us had eaten since before we left Ohio which was about 7 hours ago. It was coming up on 8 pm so we had gotten a decent amount of beach time for our first day here.

“Yeah, I could definitely eat.” I added.

Laura checked her phone. “Yeah, we can go eat somewhere but after that we’re going out.”

“Out where?” I asked skeptically.

“A bar.” Allie added.

“This is supposed to be relaxing. I can hardly relax with loud techno mixes pounding from giant speakers and people drunkenly grinding all over each other right next to me.” I whined.

“I promise it’s just a bar. There’ll be non techno music and tables to sit at and everything.” Laura says reassuring me. I was much for going out to bars or drinking for that matter but I could do a regular bar.

I decided on wearing a pair of shorts and a black tank top for our night out and I actually did my makeup. Lipstick and all. I left my hair down and went over it with a straightener.

“Holy shit, look at you miss thing! Damn!” Laura called. Allie hooted and hollered while Kaia laughed at their responses. “You will definitely be turning heads tonight.” She said smiling with her eyebrows raised.

“Oh, stop. We all know that’s not true.” I said and rolled my eyes.

“I don’t know, CJ. You do look good.” Kaia chimed in.

“Can we go?” I asked in an attempt to avert the unwanted attention.

“Let’s go!” Laura said loudly and turned toward the stairs heading to the ground level.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat we headed to the bar. The parking lot was mostly full and there were people outside smoking but it didn’t seem overly crowded, which was good. We walked in and the atmosphere was pretty chill but it was still early. Luckily there was a table available and we sat down taking in the atmosphere.

Laura went up to the bar to get some shots, which I was not excited about, but I guess one wouldn’t kill me, right?

“CJ, look it’s the guy from the beach.” Allie said as she lightly hits my arm and tried to inconspicuously gesture with a side nod of her head. Sure enough at a table in my direct line of vision was the guy that was jogging on the beach. He was with another guy and a woman. 

“You should go talk to him.” she used her arm to try to nudge me out of my chair.

“And say what?” I asked.

“Anything. Just start a conversation.”

“You know I’m not good at that. I don’t know what to say. Whenever I try to talk to new people my brain does this thing where it’s like ‘thoughts? What are those?’”

“Oh, I have plenty of thoughts about him.” Allie says biting her bottom lip as her eyes raked over him as he stood up.

“Any you can share in a public place?” I retort. “Actually, don’t answer that.” Allie is liable to share any kind of though in her head and I didn’t want to hear those.

“What’d I miss?” Laura asks returning to the table with a tray of shots.

“I was trying to get CJ to go talk to that guy we saw jogging on the beach earlier. But it looks like she missed her chance.” Allie explained. I looked over at the table and his chair was empty leaving just the woman and man he was with.

“Good, we can find her someone younger.” Laura replied pointedly at Allie.

“Good lord, Laura did you get shots for the whole place?” Kaia chimed in after she noticed the tray of shots Laura had set on the table.

“Relax, Kai, there’s only eight. Two for each of us.” Laura replied rolling her eyes and picking up a shot. With a deep breath I grabbed a shot glass.

“Here’s to two weeks of fun with the best friends a girl could ask for.” Laura said raising her glass. The rest of us raised our glasses and took the shot. It burned a little going down my throat but it was just vodka, thank God. Laura and Allie had already grabbed the next shot glass and were looking expectantly at me and Kaia. Kaia looked at me and I shrugged and grabbed a shot glass.

I looked across the room at the table where Mr. Beach Jogger once sat, only to find him sitting back at the table. They all cracked wide smiles as if one of them had said something funny.. His smile was mesmerizing. Contagious. He grabbed the glass and brought it to his lips and took a swig. I absentmindedly licked my lips taking my bottom one between my teeth. A hand smacked my arm.

“Earth to Charlotte!”

“Sorry, what?”

“You good over there?” Kaia questioned raising an eyebrow.

“Ha. Oh, I think she’s more than good.” Allie said smirking. She gestured toward Mr. Beach jogger. 

“No, it wasn’t like that. I was just.. Thinking.”

“Hoo, I bet you were.” Allie said eyeing me.

“Yeah, CJ. Why don’t you share with the class. What kind of thoughts?” She said mischievously.

“My bet is on wicked and evil.” Allie said with a devilish grin. I could feel the heat start to rise to my cheeks.

“Shut up!” I said sternly, to which they laughed. 

“I have to use the bathroom.” Laura said getting out of her seat.

“I’ll go with you.” Kaia jumps up and they head toward the bathroom leaving me and Allie at the table.

“I’m going to get us some drinks. You should go talk to him.” She said whispering the last part.

I looked back over at the table and notice the woman is gone. The guys were in the middle of a conversation. Mr. Jogger shaking his head no then dropping it in friendly exasperation. I’m familiar with that myself. He lifted his head and looks over at me. 

Shit.

I averted my eyes as quickly as I could but they landed on the other guy who was also looking at me. My eyes went wide and I turned my head toward the bar to see Allie coming back with two drinks. She must’ve recognized my deer in the headlights face because hers scrunched in confusion.

“CJ?”

“Don’t look.” I whispered. So what did she do? She looked. My head instantly drops, my eyes shut tight.

“One of them is coming over.” she said. My head snapped up to find her sitting down and excited smile adorning her face. I was too afraid to look so I kept my eyes on her.

“Excuse me, Ladies, My--”

“Greg!” A voice half shouted from behind the man, interrupting him. “Excuse us. So sorry to bother you. We’re just on our way out. My friend here has had one too many.” I finally looked up to find Mr. Jogger and his friend standing at our table. “Y’all enjoy the rest of your night.” He said with a polite smile and grabbed his friend by the back of the neck practically pushing him toward the exit. I watched as the went out the door. I don’t know what they were saying but they had a disagreement of some sort.

I could feel Allie’s eyes on me so I glanced over to her direction. She had a small smile.

“So?”

“So..?” I responded.

“Oh my god, did that guy come over here?” Laura asked approaching the table with Kaia, excited to hear the story.

“His friend did but he was interrupted by jogger dude and they left.”

“What?! CJ why didn’t you talk to him?!” Laura exclaimed.

“Why? I thought he was too old.” I snarked.

“Okay, he’s not that old. And besides it’s all about fun, right? Maybe he’s rich or something.” Laura said smiling.

“You are out of control.” I responded shaking my head in disapproval.

The rest of the night was fun. Finally getting to just talk and be goofy with my friends but that smile kept popping into my head all night. Even once we got back to the house, I fell asleep with that image in my head.


End file.
